EMT/Paramedic Careers

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), also known as paramedics, are in many cases the critical link between life and death for many who suffer injury or serious illness in their homes and on the streets. They are highly-trained to give advanced first-aid for a variety of serious mishaps.

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More Popular EMT/Paramedic Schools

Explore a new career with Pima Medical Institute. We offer a number of certificate, associate, and bachelor's degree programs in the medical, allied health, dentistry, nursing, mortuary science, veterinary, and massage therapy fields.

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As a student at Southeastern College, you will gain the training, skills, and knowledge you need to start a rewarding career in growing occupations such as practical nursing, emergency medical services, medical assisting, massage therapy, and pharmacy technology. Our career-focused programs and flexible class schedules make Southeastern a great choice for busy working adults.

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Star Career Academy - the career school of choice.Students will be prepared for entry-level employment in allied medical assisting and other health fields, hotel/restaurant management, cosmetology, or a choice from our professional culinary and baking & pastry programs. What makes us unique, and unlike other trade schools, is the dedication of our staff to provide performance-based occupational training. Students gain the knowledge and confidence they need so that they may quickly gain employment and achieve the success they desire.

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All-State Career - Healthcare Division is committed to providing quality training for students just like you. Financial aid is available for students who qualify. * Programs vary by location * Please contact each individual campus for accreditation information

What an EMT Does

EMTs respond to a variety of mishaps to include automobile accidents, gunshot wounds, drowning, heart attacks, and the list goes on. The primary duty of an EMT is to give emergency care to a person who has suffered a mishap before taking them to the hospital. This first requires assessing the mishap that the victim has suffered or is suffering from. Then, the EMT takes the prescribed first actions or seeks advice from the medical staff at the hospital as to what needs to be done to stabilize the victim. Once they get the victim stabilized their other tasks include:

Giving any emergency treatment

Coordinate with police and firefighters when necessary

Immobilizing the victim to prevent further injury (if necessary)

Transporting the victim to the hospital

Communicating with medical staff and the dispatcher at the hospital for advisement on the victim’s condition while en route

Comforting the victim while en route to the hospital

Emergency treatment could be CPR which all EMTs are required to be trained in. Other forms of emergency treatment can include techniques to stop the bleeding, clear the victim’s airway, or revive a victim whose heart has stopped.

The Workplace

Most EMTs don’t work for hospitals at all. They work for ambulance services. In fact, if you have ever been transported in an ambulance you will oftentimes get a separate bill from the treatment bill at the hospital facility.

Their daily work in metropolitan areas can take them anywhere and in all types of weather conditions and at all hours. Such is the nature of emergencies. The job also presents a higher than usual risk of injury because of victims with contagious diseases or who are belligerent and violent.

Education and Certification

The first requirement to becoming an EMT is to complete a state-approved training program. A prerequisite to entering this program is to complete training in CPR and be certified in it. This formal training program can be taken at a technical, vocational, or community college.

Training programs are taken by students at three levels: EMT-Basic, EMT-Advanced, and Paramedic. The EMT Advanced course is sometimes referred to as the EMT-Intermediate 1985 or EMT-Intermediate 1999 course. Nonetheless, there are two levels and paramedics are the ones who have completed both.

EMT training at the basic level teaches the basics such as assessment of the victim’s condition, clearing airways, and using EMT equipment. The program is for 100 hours.

EMT training at the intermediate/advanced level is a 1,000-hour program of study and covers advanced topics such as administering certain types of medication and IV fluids.

Paramedic training, in addition to the two levels of EMT training, requires that the student learn medical skills that are more advanced in nature. These advanced skills might include learning how to administer IVs or put first stitches in wounds.

All EMTs must be certified which means passing the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians exam. The exam has two parts--a written and hands-on. Licensure is required in every state however specific requirements may vary. Nonetheless, all states require certification before licensure.